The Spicy City

A week ago I had the privilege of visiting the über awesome city that is Durban. Where it never really gets...cold. Even on an overcast and rainy day, Durban gets suuuper warm (and humid). Besides having a year-round summer, Durban is a hub of all things wonderful and colourful, even though it has its flaws like any other city. But the good overrules the bad. So from the Golden Mile next to the beach to the different eras' architecture, from the friendly (and often quirky and interesting) people to the spicy Indian food, I just fell in love with this unforgettable city again. 

Gratitude

Even though we don't have Thanksgiving in South Africa, I think we could do with one. We have SO much to be grateful for, in contrast to others who have nothing. Take for example the Dalits (or untouchables) in India. They literally have nothing. Well, nothing that comes close to what we have. They're mostly looked down upon, and the majority of the Dalits have no bright future ahead of them.

We don't need to have a Thanksgiving where we have the best dinner of the year; rather, we need a Thanksgiving that kick-starts a grateful attitude in our nation, and in return an attitude of giving. Even here in South Africa you'll find many underprivileged people wherever you are, and giving to them something of what you have that you know they need, or even just giving them your time and showing them you care, can change the hearts of many people and give them something to be thankful for in turn. Because after all,

1. "we make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give" (Sir Winston Churchill).

   
   

   And let's keep the Dalits and others who are underpriviledged in our hearts and prayers. 

   :)
2. 
   

Clocks

Tonight, looking back on my previous posts, I realized how quickly things have changed over the past few months since I started this blog. A few months ago, the year still lay ahead far into the distance. But now I'm already looking back at the year as one that has come to an end. Next year was next year, still far in the future. Now next year is almost in sight; plans for the year ahead are cemented into place...whereas a few months ago I was still living fully in 2012. Now I'm living on the edge of a year slipping into the next, picking up speed every day.

Time flies, as we all know. And yet many times it feels like the time just cannot pass quickly enough (I had quite my share of those moments this year). Our time is ticking away so quickly and we don't always realize it. There are so many things I wanted to do this year that I simply just didn't get around to, because every time I thought, "there's always tomorrow." Tomorrow turned into next week, and...we all know how that works. But we can't live our lives thinking we've still got more than enough time. If you know you should do something, especially when you know God's putting it on our heart, don't just sit there waiting for better weather. DO IT. Do not delay. If you see someone who needs help, don't wait for someone else to come along...it may be too late. Benjamin Franklin once said: "You may delay, but time will not."
DO SOMETHING.

Show and Tell

I have, much to my disgust, come to the stage many bloggers have been through themselves--that of "I-haven't-posted-on-my-blog-for-ages-and-now-my-blog-is-dying." Eeew.

However, I don't intend on leaving my blog to rot and decay any time soon. So I've finally dragged myself to the PC with the little commitment I still have left and vowed not to leave until I have successfully written and posted something worthwhile.

I was in the Western Cape (a beautiful province here in South Africa for all those who don't know) for 6 weeks and came back home last week. I could bore you with the usual "oh, it was really exciting and awesome" story, but I think it'll do much better to just say that the Western Cape is now my second home. If I could, I would've made it my first home in the first place. From the people to the views, from the beaches (despite the water being so cold it can freeze a melted chocolate within seconds) to the food, from the shops to the farms (and I could go on), the Western Cape really has it all. The Western Cape has the most quirky, inspiring, unique, and exquisite places to brag with, and now I can at least show some of it through my (and my camera's) perspective.

“This cape is the most stately thing and the fairest cape we saw in the whole circumference of the earth.” 

– From the journal of Sir Francis Drake, on seeing the Cape for the first time, 1580

Wheat fields ready to for the harvest

My sister and I in my fave pic of all time...

AMAZING Rockformations
 (Wolfberg, Cederberg Mountains)

Young fruit trees in blossom

Colourful pavements at Kalk Bay, Cape Town

Green Point Stadium (Cape Town),
12  o'clock at night after a concert.

One of the coolest places [a MUST visit]:  Sedgefield Classic Cars 

Western Cape, you can expect me to be back very, very soon.

:)

How to Make Someone's Day

I think it was Thursday last week when a woman I know dropped by while I was doing some work, and asked me whether I was busy. Thinking back on it, I realize my hesitant reply wasn't as respectful and courteous as it should have been. But I decided I'd help her with whatever she needed help with anyway, which turned out to be photocopying a form. I was quite surprised when I saw that it was her daughter's university entrance form. 

Before I go on, I just need to explain the situation to you. I live in an area where the people aren't always capable of providing for their families' every need, much less sending their kids to university. So me photocopying this form for this woman was really quite an essential task. Even though I didn't realize it at that time.

When I was done, I handed the form over to the woman, and she was SO happy. She left me that afternoon, so thankful for the small task that I had done for her. "God bless you," she said. 

Little did she know that just by saying "God bless you," she made my day. And I really needed it that afternoon. 

Many lessons can be learnt from this short story, but the biggest in my opinion, and the most potent one, is that by doing something small for someone, or just saying something nice to someone, you can make their day. Especially if you have to drop whatever you're doing, and help that person out instead. Who knows, they might make your day too.

Snow

Snow is a rare thing in South Africa. A beautiful and magnificent treat to anyone just passing by, but a hazard to anyone owning a farm. However, we don’t own a farm, and we don’t get snow in these parts. So last Monday we drove about three hours from home, into the mountainous area near Lesotho, hoping to still see some snow after hearing about it from friends.

I’ve never touched fresh snow—it’s always been just a thin layer and either already frozen or melting. But this year the snow covered the fields, hills, and mountaintops as if someone had generously poured icing sugar over them. The snow was already sort of frozen, but not so much that you couldn’t pound someone with a snowball or two (which my mom did to me as I was taking photos). I must confess that the sight of snow had me beaming outside and inside with extreme pleasure.  The brown (like a dark copper colour) grass brought a spectacular contrast to the spotless white snow. Later on in the day, we returned home, and I snapped my last few pics for the day as my camera’s batteries died. Simply driving by and stopping in the midst of the snow with my family has become one of my most cherished memories.

 "Kindness is like snow - it beautifies everything it covers"

                                                                          -Khalil Gibran 

Questions

Over the past few months I've been struggling with lots of questions--aimed at God. We all have questions in life, and a lot of us need God to answer them. But the thing is...what do we do when it feels like He's not answering?

Today, God answered a prayer for me. Barely ten minutes from the time I asked it! And I just know that we have to hold on and trust Him to answer us in His perfect time--even if it feels like He's never going to reply. Instead of freaking out about the stuff you're worrying about (which I did almost every time), put your faith in Jesus and  know that He will help you out in some way or another. It might be a long time before He answers, but you can be assured that the Lord makes all things work together for the good of those who put their trust in Him.

^6-7 Don’t worry over anything whatever; tell God every detail of your needs in earnest and thankful prayer, and the peace of God which transcends human understanding, will keep constant guard over your hearts and minds as they rest in Christ Jesus.

-Philippians 4:6

J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)